Why Telemedicine Should Be Part of Every Modern Health Plan
StarMed Benefits is thrilled to offer multiple health benefits plans as a low-cost alternative to traditional medical insurance. Each of our plans provides access to telemedicine services without co-pays or additional costs. Why do we offer telemedicine? Because we believe it should be part of every modern health plan.
We have been in this business for a long time. We have witnessed the emergence of telemedicine from a barely used technology to one that was embraced by necessity during the COVID pandemic. With COVID now largely behind us, healthcare providers, employers, and consumers have all decided that telemedicine still has a place of the table.
Telemedicine Is Convenient
Whether consumers have access to an employer-sponsored health plan or not, there is no denying that telemedicine is convenient. Using the latest digital technologies and the internet, telemedicine providers offer routine primary care and health screenings without the need for patients to visit the office in-person.
For your employees, this means no longer having to take half-a-day off from work in order to account for commuting time and sitting in a small, crowded room waiting to be seen. It is a lot more convenient to see the doctor via a mobile device or desktop computer than enduring the hassles of in-office visits.
Telemedicine Is Efficient
We are encouraged by the fact that more doctors and primary care offices are sticking with telemedicine now that the pandemic is over. It is pretty clear why: telemedicine has proved itself to be more efficient for certain types of care. That makes it an ideal option to add to any health plan designed to be a low-cost alternative to medical insurance.
In essence, telemedicine’s built-in efficiency can reduce costs and improve delivery. For starters, healthcare services can be delivered to your employees for less. Healthcare providers benefit from the efficiency as well. Doctors can see more patients in the same amount of time without reducing the quality of care they offer.
Healthcare Is Changing with Technology
The bottom line is that healthcare is changing. Most of the highly visible changes are in some way related to digital technologies. Thanks to advancements in everything from remote communication to onboard diagnostics, today’s telemedicine providers are filling in the gaps to make basic healthcare services available to everyone.
In the earliest days of telemedicine, available services were limited. The very first telemedicine kiosks were little more than retail booths with blood pressure cuffs and heart rate monitors. Things are certainly different today.
A typical telemedicine solution in the 2020s incorporates videoconferencing, text-based chat, and onboard diagnostics – all working in real time. Your employees can visit with their doctors remotely without missing a beat. Modern diagnostic capabilities give doctors the data they need, also in real time, to offer accurate diagnoses.
It’s Time to Think Differently
Telemedicine may be new to you as an employer. Perhaps it goes against everything you know and understand about accessing healthcare services. If that’s the case, we get it. But we also believe it is time to start thinking differently about how healthcare is accessed, especially in terms of employer-sponsored health benefits.
The Affordable Care Act probably requires you to offer your employees a certain level of basic healthcare coverage. But there is more than one way to do that. By choosing a StarMed Benefits plan, you can meet all compliance rules and give your employees the quality health benefits they deserve.
Telemedicine is included in all our plans. We suspect it is something your employees will truly appreciate. If you would like to know more, don’t hesitate to contact us.
